Tag Archives: Sails

After all of us getting lost we eventually found the yacht, Duet. We then got to know each other and wrote a shopping list. We had to use the boat trolleys to get the large amount of shopping back to Duet. Later on we went down to the Chippy for fish and chips. We went back to the boat for an intense game of Irish snap. Several battered hands later we all went to bed.

Leg 11 / Day 2

Waking up to the sound of James making the tea and Alex screaming. Beth realised we had a drip. After three kettle boils we eventually got our tea for breakfast. We had egg, bacon, sausage and mushy but yummy hash browns. We then proceeded to leave the harbour under motor. We put the main, mizzen, staysail and outer jib 1 sails up. We had a force four west-south-westerly wind. Our point of sail was a broad reach.

Vicky and James attempted to make tea but then had to be taken over by Michaela after feeling seasick. Bethany and Beth proceed to then throw-up over the side. We then changed from Jib No.1 to Genoa. For this James went out on to the bowsprit to attach the tack. Bethany instructed us how to flake the jib.

Chicken Fajita were then cooked in rather bumpy conditions by those who were feeling sick. Beth and Bethany then saw their lunch again. We approached the white cliffs of Dover which was nicely pointed out by Beth followed by a short disagreement about satellites. We then moored up at Dover. Vicky and Bethany then cooked chicken curry which went down well after a day of sailing.

Leg 11 / Day 3

Breakfast was at 08:30 because James had to go to the hospital after a nasty bug bite. Alex dropped an orange out of the overloaded fruit net which landed in Bet’s tea. We set out in a very light wind using the motor to help.

Young people from the BSA scout Troop 184 from Surrey were the first to test Duet’s new working topsail this weekend. Two new sails have been especially made for the her centenary year which marks 52 years in the service of young people.

It felt very much like she was wearing a brand new pair of white trainers as the sail was set alongside four other rather less new sails but the new sail gave her the extra turn of speed we were hoping for. The topsail is set above the mainsail and is great for catching the slightly faster winds to be found 10m above sea level.

She also has a new Jackyard Topsail – not tried this weekend which is bigger and will be very useful in lighter airs.

Duet is likely to encounter every sort of wind in her eleven week Voyage to Success around the coast this summer and no doubt the new topsails will see plenty of action!